


Oil Stains and Coffee Cups

by MusicLover6661



Category: Captain America (1944), Captain America (1990), Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Mechanic!Bucky Barnes, Mechanic!Sam Wilson, Mechanic!Steve Rogers, POV Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 23:24:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17569904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicLover6661/pseuds/MusicLover6661





	Oil Stains and Coffee Cups

 

The drive to New York was daunting, scary in a sense as i took in every tall building that surrounded the very one i was supposed to go inside.  Stark Industries, the first place i had applied to when i planned on moving to the big apple.  And now the time was here for me to go inside and meet with the CEO.  God I’m a nervous wreck, there’s no way he’s gonna hire someone like me.

“You can do this Y/N, just go inside and tell them your name, deep breaths.” I stared out the windshield, chest shuttering with nervous breaths.

I slipped out of the car, grabbing the bag i had dubbed to be my purse so many years ago.  Time to get the interview over with so i can breathe once again.

The secretary barely gave me a glance as i walked over, giving my name and stating exactly what i was there for.  She simply gestured with her hand towards the elevators, muttering a floor number before going back to her computer.  Well, let’s hope not everyone here is like her.

“Tony, I’m expecting an interview at any moment, can you wait for me to finish that before we go out to lunch please?” A woman’s voice floated softly through the hallway, though she sounded rather annoyed.

I knocked on the door nervously, pushing it open with a quiet grunt.  Was there a weight that was holding it down that i was unaware of?

“And she’s here now, I’ll be expecting you to meet me downtown in an hour Ms. Potts.” A gentleman stepped around the woman he had been speaking to, smiling softly as he left the room.

The room was spacious yet sophisticated, it would be obvious to anyone that came into the room that a CEO was inside.  Though, i wasn’t expecting the woman that greeted me, i was told the CEO was a man.

“Please, take a seat.” She sat down in a high backed leather chair, the color looked almost black.

“Oh, thank you.” I smiled and sat down quickly, afraid i had already ruined my chances at getting the job.

She looked through a file of papers, humming softly to herself every few seconds.  What exactly was she..?  Oh my god that’s my resume, please tell me she didn’t find a typo or something that was going to end this interview before it began.

“An English major in college.” Was that a bad thing?  Should i have gone with something else instead?  
“Yeah, I’ve always been interested in the subject.” God that sounded so stupid!  She’s gonna think you’re a complete moron.

She didn’t say anything for a few minutes, looking over more papers that were piled neatly together.  I could practically feel my heart leap up into my throat, this was my worst nightmare come to life.

“How soon could you start?” This is it, my life is over-.  
“I’m sorry?” My voice came out squeaky, sounding almost like a mouse that had been caught by the house cat.

“If you were hired, how soon could you start?” Her gaze was unwavering as i stared at her, mouth agape.

“Right away if you need me.” I couldn’t hear anything except for my heartbeat in my ears.  Was this really happening?

She smiled happily and stood up, extending her hand to where i was still sat.

“Welcome to Stark Industries Y/N, you’ll start next monday.” Holy shit, i got the job!

“Thank you so much!” I stood and shook her hand excitedly, quickly grabbing onto my purse and running back out to where my car was parked.

This day couldn’t get any better!

* * *

  
This day could not get any worse than it already was.  My car had broken down more times in the last six months than when i lived back home.  I wasn’t sure if it was the smog filled air, or the rough traffic that i battled almost daily on my way to work.  Either way, my car was pissed at me and refused to run for longer than an hour a day.

  
“You need to see a repairman hun, that problem isn’t gonna go away on it’s own.” Wanda was one of the first people i had met when i started at Stark Industries.

She had pulled me under her wing, showing me who to trust and who to avoid when it came to work drama.  She was a breath of fresh air after a long while of being a nervous wreck day in and day out.  Shopping trips on the weekend, brunch during days off when our phones were ringing nonstop.  

“I can’t afford to take it to a shop Wanda, they’ll overcharge me just because I’m a woman.” I rolled my eyes, twirling the noodles onto my fork carefully.

“I’ll pay for any repairs, promise.” Now i couldn’t exploit my friend like that, that’s just rude.

I raised a brow at her, staring her down to see if she would give up and just let me deal with the wreck that was my car.  Only it seemed to spur her on more, a wide smirk pulling up her lips as she stared at me.

“You’re not gonna give up until i say yes, are you?” From the way she quirked her brow i knew what my answer was immediately.  Such a pain.

I sighed, finishing off my plate and pulling out the money to at least pay for our lunches as a thank you for what she planned to do for myself.  Of course that wouldn’t pay for the repairs, it’d cover maybe a quarter of it.  Hopefully.

The drive over was intimidating, what kind of men would be working there?  Would they stare me down until i was shaking like a leaf?  Or would they make crude comments until i all but scurried from the building with my head down in fear?

The sign outside was large enough that i could make it out nearly two miles away, the smell of oil and rubber was prominent.  I parked outside, making sure that i wasn’t blocking either of the garage doors before stepping out slowly.  There were at least three voices inside, all men, of course.

“Hello?” I stepped up the desk near the front door, tapping my nails lightly against the wood surface.

“I’ll be with you in just a minute miss.” The voice sounds too close for comfort, goosebumps raising all over my skin.

I nodded my head, looking around the garage to figure out which man had been talking, and which ones were yelling at one another.  The two men that are farther away seem busier, one of them is working on a motorcycle, mumbling under his breath.

“Sorry about making you wait, what seems to be the issue that brought you here today?” The gentleman walked over, wiping off his hands on a rag that sat nearby.

His body language was beaming with friendliness, nothing scary about him in the slights, maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea.

“My cars been making this awful rattling noise, I’ve already had three other people look and they can’t figure out what it is either.” I frowned slightly, holding my purse a little tighter.  
“Why don’t i take a look, can i bring her into the garage?” He raised a brow at me, waiting almost patiently.

“Of course, here.” I took my keys from my pocket and handed them over.

He wasted no time running outside, driving the car i had called my baby for so many years into the spacious garage.  The rattling seemed to echo once inside.  
  
“Well i can definitely hear the noise you’re talking about, I’m gonna get a flashlight and see if i can find the issue.” He shut off the car and headed over into the office nearby, searching through the desk.

The other two gentleman were now bickering with one another again, one of the men laughing loudly at a joke the other told.  The man from before walked out of the office, proudly holding what looked to be the flashlight he needed.

He lifted the hood quickly, turning on the light and ducking down to get a closer look inside at the engine.

“When’s the last time you had an oil change?” I could barely focus, struggling to pay attention to each man to make sure they were all in my line of vision.  
“About a month ago, i was a little overdue for one.” It didn’t seem like that would be the problem though, the noise hadn’t started until a few weeks ago.

“Hmm, that doesn’t give a reason for the noise then.” He dipped closer, moving things slightly before stepping away from the car.

He looked over at one of the men, calling him over.

“Buck, i need you to lift this so i can see underneath.” The man, Buck, nodded and ran over to what looked to be a lever.

The car was lifted off the ground slowly, the man who had greeted me waited until it was high enough where he could step underneath without any difficulty.  He seemed almost appalled at something i was struggling to see exactly.

“Found the source of your noise.” He reached up, shifting the tire and pulling out a large rock, when the hell had i run that over?

“Well that explains the noise, but doesn’t explain why i can barely go more than fifteen miles before my cars dying on the side of the road.” I mumbled softly, more annoyed that the noise was something so trivial.

I glanced over to the nametag that rested on his shirt, Sam.  Seemed kind of fitting.

“Has your car been overheating when you need to stop?” Sam crossed his arms, looking almost angry.

“Every time.” Was this something that was out of my control?  I seriously couldn’t afford a new car at this point.

“From what i can tell, the last person that touched your cooling system fucked up and rewired it wrong.” This sounded like a completely different language to me.

I laughed softly, wiping a hand down my face.

“English please?” I didn’t mean to offend him, i was just tired of being run around in circles.

“The person who did your oil change messed around with some parts so you’d have to go back and get it fixed by them, there’s a lot of scumbags in the town.” Oh my god, this was not happening.

“How much is it gonna cost to be fixed?” Sam pursed his lips for a moment, thinking it over slowly.

“If i can do it today, no more than fifty bucks.” I’m sorry, did i mishear him?

I could barely seem to register his words for a moment, taking them in slowly as to make sure i had heard him correctly.

“Yeah, i can do it today.” I was ecstatic to hear that i wasn’t about to be indebted to Wanda for the rest of my life, and i was sure she’d be happy to hear it wasn’t about to cost an arm and a leg.

Sam gestured to a line of chairs that sat up against the opposite wall, letting me relax while he fixed up my car, confirming it would only take a few minutes.  The other two mechanics were talking with one another, seemingly forgetting the car and motorcycle they had been working on.  I sent a quick text to Wanda, letting her know the good news.

**_Oh thank god, i was hoping it wasn’t something too serious, so are any of the mechanics cute?_ **

_Wanda!  They’re gonna see me blushing and think I’m texting something naughty._   
**_  
Too be fair, you kinda are ;), but tell me!  Are any of them cute?_ **

_All three of em are, well i couldn’t get a good look at one of them though, he’s standing behind a truck right now._

**_Ugh, i wish i could’ve headed down with you, but I’m stuck working the late shift again :(.  
_ **   
_I know, i’ll be there with you tomorrow._

**_Steve’s P.O.V  
_**  
I wanted to over and greet the customer, she was downright stunning, from the way she seemed so effortlessly comfortable, to the blush that crept up onto her cheeks.  I was kinda mad that Sam got to talk to her first, but he hadn’t tried to flirt like he had in the past.  Actually, that was more Bucky’s job to flirt with the cute girls.

“You just gonna stand there all day, or are you gonna go over and introduce yourself?” Bucky was smirking at me, nonchalantly wiping his hands off as if he wasn’t betting me to talk to the woman.  
“She’s a customer, I’m not go up like some creep.” I rolled my eyes and stepped over to the car i had been working on.

It was one of our boss’s cars, man had more money than he even knew what to do with it, meanwhile we’re working sixty hours a week to make our bills every month.  Sometimes i wondered why we even worked for him.

“Just go and say hi, there’s nothing wrong with saying hi.” Bucky waggled his brows, trying to convince me to go and talk to our customer.

I rolled my eyes and set down the bottle of oil in my hand.  The car wasn’t going anywhere, nothing to worry about.

I took a slow deliberate breath and walked over, my nerves were about to get the better of me if i wasn’t careful.  She isn’t anything like Sharon, you don’t need to worry Steve.  I reached for a cup, sliding it underneath the keurig that our boss had insisted we put in the lobby for customers.  The selection of coffee wasn’t the greatest, but we made due with creamers and sugars at least.

Once the machine stopped making any noise i reached for the cup, expertly spilling the scalding coffee over my entire hand in the process.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” I threw the cup into the trash, wincing as the chilled air hit my now burning skin.

“Sir?” The woman was staring over at me, glancing between my hand and my face.

“Sorry, i need to clean this up.” I winced and reached for a clean rag, wiping up the spilt coffee.

Bucky was staring at me from the garage, mouth agape as i cleaned up the mess i had, being careful not to touch the skin of my left hand.  Sam was calmly working on her car, not paying any mind to everyone else.

“It’s gonna blister in a minute.” I mumbled more to myself than anyone else.

Bucky groaned loudly, making sure that she could hear him loud and clear, why was he such an ass at times like this?  I wasn’t smooth with women!  I tended to do the type of shit i just did, and that included burning myself.

“Are you sure you’re alright?  That burn looks pretty bad.” She reached for my hand, gently touching my wrist to get a better look.  
“I’ve had worse, working here.” My cheeks were nearly the same color as my hand, this was about to end as badly as i anticipated.

“You need to get some cream on that before it gets any worse.” She glanced up for a moment, a small smile playing on her lips.

“I would if we had any, boss is kinda stingy when it comes to the necessities for us.” I shrugged with the shoulder she wasn’t standing next to.

Her gaze was suddenly locked onto my face, eyebrow raised as she took in my words.  Was this something that she wasn’t used to?  Our boss had always been a stingy asshole, saying we didn’t need the items we desperately did.

“Who’s your boss?” She dropped my hand, crossing her arms over her chest.  
“Brock Rumlow, I’m sure you’ve heard of him before, one of the most famous mechanics in the state.” After i finished my sentence she didn’t seem impressed at all.

Instead she turned and pulled out her phone, calling someone faster than i could even register exactly what she was doing.  Wait, did she just say Ms. Potts, as in the CEO of Stark Industries, home of some of the most powerful lawyers in the state?

“Thank you Pepper, I’ll be in early tomorrow to discuss.” She hung up and turned to face me once again, a stern expression covering her face.

“I’m sorry, you work for Stark Industries?” My heart leaped into my throat, my chest felt as if it were constricting suddenly.

“Yes i do, now can i get the name of yourself and your coworkers please?” She reached into her purse, pulling out a notepad and pen.

Sam and Bucky were nervous to write down their names, what would happen if this all fell through and Brock came cracking down on us even harder?  We’d all be out of a job, that we all knew for sure.

 ** _Six Months Later  
Y/N’s P.O.V_**  
  
The crew had been terrified to testify against Brock, after hearing all the awful things he had been doing to customers before they came along.  They knew about the horrendous working conditions for themselves, but not about the other shops he owned.  Employees worked until they were on the verge of passing out, barely making minimum wage.

“It’ll be alright guys, i promise.” I pressed a gentle hand to Bucky’s arm, watching his lips pull into a frown.  
  
He had been the most apprehensive, needing the job to help pay for upgrades on his prosthetic when it came time to get it fixed.  Sam had a wife and child at home, his little girl had just started kindergarten, he wanted to be there during more milestones.  Steve was drowning in his bills, it didn’t matter how much money he made, it was never enough.

“I just feel like we’re wasting our time.” Bucky crossed his arms, nerves beginning to get the better of him.  
“We’re gonna win this case guys, he’s working you like slaves, and for what?  So he can buy a third home he doesn’t need?” I was angry at how horrific their work was, how all his employees were treated.

We were called into the courtroom a few minutes later, Pepper and Tony were standing with our lawyer, Alexander Pierce.  He had put away so many corrupt people, god i really hoped he could help with this case.

“How do you find the defendant?” The judge looked over at the jury, waiting for their answer.

“We find Brock Rumlow.  Guilty, on all charges.” Holy shit, we won!

The room erupted into a loud cheer, Brock mumbled angrily under his breath as he was escorted from the room.  Steve, Sam, and Bucky were all quiet, hands wrung together as the news washed over them.

“You guys, we won!” I hugged Sam first, moving onto Bucky, and then finally Steve.  His arms were the weakest of the bunch, hands shaking by his side as i pulled away.  
“Yeah, but who’s gonna take over the shop?  If Brock isn’t paying us, who will?” Bucky swallowed thickly, the fear was beginning to settle in.  

I hadn’t thought about that.  And now i had just doomed them to losing their jobs, if they were struggling before, this would only make it worse.  
  
“I will.” Tony, Peppers husband, stepped over to where i was standing with the boys.  
“Excuse me?” I knew the man was a little crazy at times, but this was confirming it for me.

“Y/N we have more than enough money to run that place for the next fifty lifetimes, let me help our friends here.” Tony was looking between the three, most likely waiting for an answer.

“I mean an extra buck an hour wouldn’t hurt too much.” Bucky kicked the ground lightly, scuffing the clean dress shoes he wore.

Tony laughed long and loud, head thrown back from the sheer exertion of the act itself.

“How much do you make exactly?” He looked to Sam at first, knowing full well he had a lot riding on this.

“About fifteen an hour, never got overtime for all the hours we put in.” Sam was an honest man, not one to hold back.

“How about, i put you guys at thirty an hour, double if you work overtime, all holidays will be off.” Tony reached for his phone, typing out the details so he could send them to the office.

“I’m sorry, did you just say thirty dollars an hour?” Steve stepped closer, i could feel the warmth of his body through my jacket.

“Is that too little?  I can make it higher.” Bucky’s jaw dropped open, staring between Tony and I.

It was settled after lunch that Tony was going to run the shop, money would never be an issue and they had free reign on what they did.  Parts would be bought without a second thought, the shop was going to be overhauled and brought up to safety standards.  Everything was going to work out, and this was all started because i needed someone to look at my car.

“Thank you so much again, if you hadn’t of come that day I’m not sure what would’ve happened to us.” I shook my head, smiling up at the blonde.

“I’m just doing my job Steve.” He blushed and sighed, reaching my fingers slowly.

“No, i don’t think you understand.” I furrowed my brow, what was going on?

Steve stepped back two steps, still holding onto my fingers so gently as if they would break at the slightest touch.

“You saved us from a boss who didn’t give a shit except to make a quick buck, you made sure that Sam could be there when his daughter was sick but he needed the money.” Steve stopped for a moment, a bright smile pulling up his lips.

“Bucky was able to get his arm fixed, do you know how long it’s been since he’s seen his doctor?  He came into my apartment absolutely beaming, reminded me of a kid on christmas morning.  I can’t thank you enough Y/N, you’re like an angel in this mess.” Steve brought my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the skin.

The rough coarse hairs of his beard scraped gently against my fingers as i stared up at him.  His eyes were sending a clear message, he was opening his heart to me.

“I love you Steve Rogers.” I reached up and pulled his lips flush to my own, i could still taste the coffee he’d had after lunch.

There was no one else in the hallway except for him and i, no one else in the world mattered but him and I.  The scent of motor oil stuck to his skin like a cologne, it was almost intoxicating.

“I don’t think your neighbors are gonna be happy finding us making out like a couple of teenagers in the lobby.” Steve pulled away with a laugh, resting his palms against my waist.

“Why don’t you come inside, have some coffee.” I laced my fingers with his own, pulling him into the apartment.

 ** _2 Years Later_**  
  
“Never thought I’d see the day Bucky got married.” Steve wrapped his arms around my waist, watching as Bucky and his new wife danced together.  
“Neither did i to be honest, but she’s perfect for him.” Steve smiled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to my cheek.

“I think she just likes seeing him covered in oil everyday.” I couldn’t hide my giggle as Steve rolled his eyes, rubbing the scruff of his chin against my neck gently.

Everyone could feel the love that was in the air, not a dry eye in the house as Bucky looked down at his wife.  No one would be able to wipe the smile off his face, not if they tried with all their might.  The [song ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DVkXIpQkFCWA&t=ZGI1OWUzODc1N2NjZWExOGEzMTVkYjIyMTcwMDQwMDQ5YjJlNTUxMSwzUlRTZXhKdA%3D%3D&b=t%3AvJo3XA9Xq0G0aHzAofSLEA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fsavemefromanepicoftimewasted.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F182357798322%2Foil-stains-and-coffee-cups&m=1)they chose had been absolutely beautiful.

“Soon enough, we’ll have this for ourselves.” Steve swayed gently, hands tightening on my hips.

“I’m in no rush babe, I’m never going anywhere.” I turned my head to look up at him, smiling softly.

“I’m not gonna let you either.” Steve reached down to lace our fingers together, playing with the ring that sat upon my finger.

Sam and his wife Ellie were laughing together, their daughter had been asleep since the ceremony against her fathers chest.  It was a sight to see, but nonetheless it still warmed my heart to see them so happy together.  Bucky hadn’t minded that Sam had to sit down during the ceremony to take his daughter, he knew how close they were.

I never expected to build such strong friendships with people when i had first moved, meeting Wanda at work, and then meeting three people that would change my life forever.  Life worked in mysterious ways.


End file.
